Coping with current impacts: The case of Scyliorhinus canicula in the NW Mediterranean Sea and implications for human consumption.

The small-spotted catshark (Scyliorhinus canicula) is a bottom-dwelling elasmobranch that represents the most discarded catch in terms of biomass in the Catalan coast (NW Mediterranean). Potential impacts affecting its population and food safety implications have been assessed in three localities along the Catalan coast. Distinct indicators were integrated, such as biological data, ingested anthropogenic items (plastic and cellulose-like items), parasitological indices, trace metal concentrations and histopathology using liver as target organ.

Trace metal level variation under strong wind conditions and sediment resuspension in the waters of a coastal lagoon highly impacted by mining activities.

The levels of metals in the waters of the Mar Menor lagoon are higher in the southern than in the northern zone both in the dissolved (As: 1.78 μg L north vs 1.86 μg L south; Cd: 0.

Effect of dissolved organic matter on copper bioavailability to a coastal dinoflagellate at environmentally relevant concentrations.

The speciation and bioavailability of copper (Cu) in the marine environment are affected by the presence of dissolved organic matter (DOM). Previous studies conducted at dissolved Cu concentrations >100 nM confirmed that Cu bioavailability depends on the concentration of labile Cu, as measured by anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV), which aligns with the expectations of the biotic ligand model (BLM). However, ambient Cu concentrations in coastal waters are generally lower, ranging between 1 and 80 nM, and the effect of DOM on the bioavailability of Cu to marine organisms has not been tested within that range of Cu concentrations.

Distribution of metals in the queen scallop Aequipecten opercularis during a transplant experiment: Metal rich granules as drivers of Pb bioaccumulation.

The queen scallop Aequipecten opercularis accumulates high concentrations of lead (Pb) in its tissues, what has led to the interruption of this fishery in some extraction areas in Galicia (NW Spain). This study follows the dynamics of bioaccumulation of Pb and other metals in this species, the tissue distribution and the subcellular partitioning in selected organs, in order to understand the mechanisms that provoke the high Pb levels reached in its tissues and to increase our knowledge about metal bioaccumulation dynamics in this species. Scallops originating from a clean area were exposed in cages in two places in the Ría de Vigo (one shipyard and a less impacted location) and 10 individuals were collected every month over a three months period.

Use of limpets as alternative to mussels in metal pollution monitoring; application in the Canary Islands.

Metal pollution monitoring programs make use of organisms, such as mussels, as biomonitors to evaluate and compare the metal pollution status of coastal areas worldwide. Despite the widespread distribution of mussels of the genus Mytilus, there are places where these organisms are absent or where their abundance is insufficient for biomonitoring purposes, such as in the Canary Islands (Spain). This study considers the use of limpets of the genus Patella as alternative/complementary species in metal pollution monitoring, and compares the bioaccumulation capacity of mussels and limpets collected simultaneously during several sampling campaigns at 11 sampling sites along the continental Spanish Atlantic coastline.

Metal and metalloid pollution in shelf sediments from the Gulf of Cádiz (Southwest Spain): Long-lasting effects of a historical mining area.

The Gulf of Cádiz is an area historically affected by acid mine drainage and also by the discharge of two important rivers, the Guadiana and the Guadalquivir. Metal and metalloid (As, Cd, Hg, Pb, Zn, Cu, Cr, Ni, Mn, Fe, Al and Li) concentrations were measured in 33 surface sediment samples, collected in the continental shelf, inside the Ría de Huelva and the Bay of Cádiz, to assess the metal pollution status of this area. Geographical distribution was identified for different groups of metals: Cu, Cd, Zn, Hg and As were mainly associated with discharges of the Tinto and Odiel rivers, which have been historically affected by mining, into the Ría de Huelva.

Vitellogenin gene expression in marine mussels exposed to ethinylestradiol: No induction at the transcriptional level.

Vitellogenin (Vtg), a large multidomain protein precursor of egg-yolk proteins, is used as an endocrine disruption biomarker in fish, and in the last decades, its use has been extended to invertebrates like mollusks. However, it remains unclear whether invertebrate endocrine system produces Vtg in response to estrogens, like it occurs in oviparous vertebrates. In a previous study, no evidence of induction of Vtg expression at protein level was found in gonads of the marine mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis after exposure to the estrogenic chemical 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2).

A Primer and Guidelines for Shotgun Proteomic Analysis in Non-model Organisms.

During the last decade, we have witnessed outstanding advances in proteomics led mostly by great technological improvements in mass spectrometry field allowing high-throughput production of high-quality data used for massive protein identification and quantification. From a practical viewpoint, these advances have been mainly exploited in research projects involving model organisms with abundant genomic and proteomic information available in public databases. However, there is a growing number of organisms of high interest in different disciplines, such as ecological, biotechnological, and evolutionary research, yet poorly represented in these databases.

Proteomic analysis and biochemical alterations in marine mussel gills after exposure to the organophosphate flame retardant TDCPP.

Organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) are (re-)emergent environmental pollutants increasingly being used because of the restriction of other flame retardants. The chlorinated OPFR, tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCPP) is among those of highest environmental concern, but its potential effects in the marine environment have rarely been investigated. We exposed a widely used sentinel marine mussel species, Mytilus galloprovincialis, to 10 μg L of TDCPP during 28 days and studied: (i) the kinetics of bioaccumulation and elimination of the compound, (ii) the effect on two molecular biomarkers, glutathione S-transferase (GST) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activities, and (iii) proteomic alterations in the gills, following an isobaric labeling quantitative shotgun proteomic approach, at two exposure times (7 and 28 days).

No evidence that vitellogenin protein expression is induced in marine mussels after exposure to an estrogenic chemical.

A wide variety of endocrine disrupting chemicals reach the marine environment and can cause harmful effects in different marine organisms. Vitellogenin (Vtg), the egg-yolk precursor, is a commonly used endocrine disruption biomarker in fish and more recently in marine invertebrates under the assumption of high expected similarities in the endocrine system of vertebrates and invertebrates. However, this assumption has been recently questioned.

In vivo oral bioavailability of Pb sequestered in metal rich granules in bivalves.

The present study was designed to evaluate in vivo the oral bioavailability of lead (Pb) present in the marine bivalve Dosinia exoleta. This infaunal clam, despite inhabiting in clean areas, presents Pb concentrations that are over the 1.5 mg kg wet weight limit for human consumption set by the European Commission.

Fifteen years of imposex and tributyltin pollution monitoring along the Portuguese coast.

IMO's Anti-Fouling Systems convention banned the use of organotin-based antifouling systems in 2008 as the ultimate effort to stop tributyltin (TBT) inputs into the marine environment. One of the hazardous effects of TBT is imposex (the superimposition of male sexual characters onto gastropod females), a phenomenon that may cause female sterility and the gastropod populations decline. Despite previous European Union legislation had already been shown effective in reducing the imposex levels along the Portuguese coast, this study intends to confirm these decreasing trends after 2008 and describe the global evolution in the last 15 years.

Shotgun Proteomics Analysis Discards Alkali Labile Phosphate as a Reliable Method To Assess Vitellogenin Levels in Mytilus galloprovincialis.

Vitellogenin, the egg yolk precursor, is a well-known biomarker of endocrine disruption in oviparous vertebrates. In invertebrates, such as bivalves, it has been used in the last 10 years for the same purpose, despite the limited knowledge of invertebrate endocrinology. In bivalves, vitellogenin levels are usually estimated using an indirect technique, alkali labile phosphate (ALP), that assumes that vitellogenin is the most abundant phosphorylated protein in the analyzed tissue.

Validation of the OECD reproduction test guideline with the New Zealand mudsnail Potamopyrgus antipodarum using trenbolone and prochloraz.

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) provides several standard test methods for the environmental hazard assessment of chemicals, mainly based on primary producers, arthropods, and fish. In April 2016, two new test guidelines with two mollusc species representing different reproductive strategies were approved by OECD member countries. One test guideline describes a 28-day reproduction test with the parthenogenetic New Zealand mudsnail Potamopyrgus antipodarum.

Subcellular distribution and trophic transfer of Pb from bivalves to the common prawn Palaemon serratus.

The edible clam Dosinia exoleta has been reported to accumulate high contents of lead (Pb) in soft tissues disregarding the levels of Pb in the environment. This is due to the retention of Pb in the form of metal rich granules (MRG) in their kidneys throughout the mollusc lifespan. The potential for trophic transfer of Pb in this form to predators is expected to be low, since metals in the form of MRG are generally supposed to be trophically unavailable, but this assumption is based on studies with other metals (Ag, Cd, Cu or Zn) and has not been demonstrated with Pb until now.

Dynamic modeling of copper bioaccumulation by Mytilus edulis in the presence of humic acid aggregates.

Copper (Cu) complexation by humic acids (HA) is expected to decrease Cu bioavailability for aquatic organisms as predicted by metal bioavailability models, such as the biotic ligand model (BLM). This has been confirmed for non-feeding organisms such as marine invertebrate embryos or microalgae, but for filter-feeding organisms such as the mussel Mytilus edulis, Cu bioaccumulation was higher in the presence of HA, suggesting that part of the Cu-HA complexes were available for uptake. This study shows the dynamic modeling of Cu accumulation kinetics in the gills and rest of the soft-body of M.

Triphenyltin induces imposex in Nucella lapillus through an aphallic route.

Triphenyltin (TPT) was used until recently as a biocide in antifouling systems and nowadays is still applied as an agriculture pesticide in some countries. This compound is known to cause imposex (the imposition of male characters in females of gastropod molluscs) in a very limited number of species, when compared with tributyltin (TBT), the universally recognized imposex-causing agent. In this study, we tested if TPT could induce imposex in females of the dog-whelk Nucella lapillus.

Lead (Pb) and copper (Cu) share a common uptake transporter in the unicellular alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

The unicellular alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii has a very high rate of lead (Pb) internalization and is known to be highly sensitive to dissolved Pb. However, the transport pathway that this metal uses to cross cellular membranes in microalgae is still unknown. To identify the Pb(2+) transport pathway in C.

Copper uptake by the marine mussel Mytilus edulis in the presence of fulvic acids.

Copper uptake and accumulation by the marine mussel Mytilus edulis were studied at different Cu concentrations in chemically defined artificial seawater in the presence and absence of fulvic acids. Both short-term uptake of Cu by excised mussel gills and Cu accumulation in whole mussels after 24 h of exposure decreased in the presence of fulvic acids compared with their absence at similar dissolved Cu concentrations. Calculations of Cu speciation based on previous measurements of labile Cu by anodic stripping voltammetry demonstrated that Cu uptake and accumulation depended on the concentration of labile Cu, in agreement with the free ion activity model.

Dependence of Cu, Pb and Zn remobilization on physicochemical properties of marine sediments.

The resuspension of 65 marine sediments was simulated in the laboratory with elutriates from 30 different sites from the north coast of Spain. The partitioning of Cu, Pb and Zn between sediment and elutriate was studied as a function of different physicochemical characteristics of the sediment: organic matter (OM), fine fraction (FF), redox potential and acid volatile sulfides (AVS). Mean remobilization factors (RF) -calculated as metal concentration in the elutriate (μg/L) divided by metal concentration in the sediment (μg/g dry weight)- were 0.

Quantification of the increase in Pb bioavailability to marine organisms caused by different types of DOM from terrestrial and river origin.

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) has metal binding properties and decreases the concentration of free metal ions in the aquatic environments. However, humic acids (HA) have been shown to increase Pb bioavailability for marine invertebrates, including Pb toxicity to sea urchin embryos. The low solubility and other properties of commercially available HA, which may not be the most representative fraction of DOM in natural waters, limit the environmental relevance of these findings.

Linking chemical contamination to biological effects in coastal pollution monitoring.

To establish the connection between pollutant levels and their harmful effects on living resources, coastal monitoring programmes have incorporated biological tools, such as the scope for growth (SFG) in marine mussels and benthic macrofauna community indices. Although the relation between oxygen-depleting anthropogenic inputs and the alteration of benthic communities is well described, the effects of chemical pollutants are unknown because they are not expected to favour any particular taxa. In this study, the combined efforts of five research teams involved in the investigative monitoring of marine pollution allowed the generation of a multiyear data set for Ría de Vigo (NW Iberian Peninsula).

Pb uptake by the marine mussel Mytilus sp. Interactions with dissolved organic matter.

It is well known that dissolved organic matter binds metal ions and buffers them in natural waters. Although it is believed that a decrease in metal ion concentration should lead to a decrease in metal bioavailability, previous work has shown that Pb uptake by Mytilus edulis gills is greatly enhanced in the presence of humic acids. In the present work, the effect of more soluble organic matter (fulvic acids and DOM extracted from river) on Pb uptake by mussels and their gills is studied.

Effect of dissolved organic matter (DOM) of contrasting origins on Cu and Pb speciation and toxicity to Paracentrotus lividus larvae.

Water samples of contrasting origin, including natural seawater, two sediment elutriates and sewage-influenced seawater, were collected and obtained to examine the effect of the dissolved organic matter (DOM) present on metal bioavailability. The carbon content (DOC) and the optical properties (absorbance and fluorescence) of the coloured DOM fraction (CDOM) of these materials were determined. Cu and Pb complexation properties were measured by anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) and the effect of DOM on Cu and Pb bioavailability was studied by means of the Paracentrotus lividus embryo-larval bioassay.

Humic acids increase dissolved lead bioavailability for marine invertebrates.

The presence of dissolved organic matter (DOM), as humic acids (HA), in natural waters is assumed to decrease dissolved metal bioavailability by binding metal ions and, therefore, decreasing the free ion concentration in solution. In this study, Pb complexation by HA in artificial seawater was checked by means of square wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV). Uptake and toxicity of this metal in the absence and presence of HA was tested using excised gills of Mytilus edulis and the Paracentrotus lividus embryo-larval bioassay respectively.